Abstract
Multiwavelength simultaneous observations are essential to the constraints on the origin of fast radio bursts (FRBs). However, it is a significant observational challenge due to the nature ...of FRBs as transients with a radio millisecond duration, which occur randomly in the sky regardless of time and position. Here, we report the search for short-time fast optical bursts in the Ground-based Wide Angle Camera (GWAC) archived data associated with FRB 20181130B, which were detected by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope and recently reported. No new credible sources were detected in all single GWAC images with an exposure time of 10 s, including images with coverage of the expected arrival time in optical wavelength by taking the high dispersion measurements into account. Our results provide a limiting magnitude of 15.43 ± 0.04 mag in the
R
band, corresponding to a flux density of 1.66 Jy or 8.35 mag in AB system by assuming that the duration of the optical band is similar to that of the radio band of about 10 ms. This limiting magnitude makes the spectral index of
α
< 0.367 from optical to radio wavelength. The possible existence of longer-duration optical emission was also investigated with upper limits of 0.33 Jy (10.10 mag), 1.74 mJy (15.80 mag), and 0.16 mJy (18.39 mag) for the durations of 50 ms, 10 s, and 6060 s, respectively. This undetected scenario could be partially attributed to the shallow detection capability, as well as the high inferred distance of FRB 20181130B and the low fluence in radio wavelength. The future detectability of optical flashes associated with nearby and bright FRBs are also discussed in this paper.
We theoretically study field-induced domain wall motion in an electrically insulating ferromagnet with hard- and easy-axis anisotropies. Domain walls can propagate along a dissipationless wire ...through spin wave emission locked into the known soliton velocity at low fields. In the presence of damping, the usual Walker rigid-body propagation mode can become unstable for a magnetic field smaller than the Walker breakdown field.
Cancer chemotherapeutic agents such as cisplatin exert their cytotoxic effect by inducing DNA damage and activating programmed cell death (apoptosis). The tumour-suppressor protein p53 is an ...important activator of apoptosis. Although p53-deficient cancer cells are less responsive to chemotherapy, their resistance is not complete, which suggests that other apoptotic pathways may exist. A p53-related gene, p73, which encodes several proteins as a result of alternative splicing, can also induce apoptosis. Here we show that the amount of p73 protein in the cell is increased by cisplatin. This induction of p73 is not seen in cells unable to carry out mismatch repair and in which the nuclear enzyme c-Abl tyrosine kinase is not activated by cisplatin. The half-life of p73 is prolonged by cisplatin and by co-expression with c-Abl tyrosine kinase; the apoptosis-inducing function of p73 is also enhanced by the c-Abl kinase. Mouse embryo fibroblasts deficient in mismatch repair or in c-Abl do not upregulate p73 and are more resistant to killing by cisplatin. Our results indicate that c-Abl and p73 are components of a mismatch-repair-dependent apoptosis pathway which contributes to cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity.
Hypothalamic nesfatin-1, derived from the nucleobindin2 (NUCB2) precursor, inhibits nocturnal food intake and body weight gain in rats. Nesfatin-1 is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, suggesting ...a peripheral source of nesfatin-1. Many centrally acting food intake regulatory neuropeptides are also produced in the periphery, especially in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, we investigated the gene expression of NUCB2 and distribution of nesfatin-1-immunoreactive cells in the stomach. Microarray mRNA expression profiles in purified small endocrine cells of the gastric mucosa substantiated by quantitative RT-PCR showed significantly higher NUCB2 mRNA expression compared with brain and heart. Western blot confirmed the expression of NUCB2 protein and its transport into a secretory soluble fraction of gastric mucosal endocrine cell homogenates. Immunohistochemical colabeling for nesfatin-1 and ghrelin, histidine decarboxylase, or somatostatin revealed two subtypes of nesfatin-1-positive endocrine cells. Cells in the midportion of the glands coexpressed nesfatin-1 and ghrelin, whereas few cells in the glandular base coexpressed nesfatin-1 and somatostatin or histidine decarboxylase. High-resolution three-dimensional volume imaging revealed two separate populations of intracytoplasmic vesicles in these cells, one containing nesfatin-1 and the other ghrelin immunoreactivity. Microarray rat genome expression data of NUCB2 in small gastric endocrine cells confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR showed significant down-regulation of NUCB2 after 24 h fasting. In summary, NUCB2 mRNA expression as well as protein content is present in a specific subset of gastric endocrine cells, most of which coexpress ghrelin. NUCB2 gene expression is significantly regulated by nutritional status, suggesting a regulatory role of peripheral nesfatin-1 in energy homeostasis.
Nesfatin-1/nucleobindin 2 is co-expressed in gastric ghrelin-containing X/A-like cells, suggesting the release of orexigenic and anorexigenic peptides from the same endocrine cells regulating food intake.
•We estimate RAM requirements for multi-reservoir dynamic programming (DP) problems.•We parallelize DP considering distributed computing and distributed computer memory.•The parallel DP algorithm is ...efficient, scalable and practical.•The parallel DP algorithm solves previously unsolvable multi-reservoir DP problems.
This paper develops a parallel dynamic programming algorithm to optimize the joint operation of a multi-reservoir system. First, a multi-dimensional dynamic programming (DP) model is formulated for a multi-reservoir system. Second, the DP algorithm is parallelized using a peer-to-peer parallel paradigm. The parallelization is based on the distributed memory architecture and the message passing interface (MPI) protocol. We consider both the distributed computing and distributed computer memory in the parallelization. The parallel paradigm aims at reducing the computation time as well as alleviating the computer memory requirement associated with running a multi-dimensional DP model. Next, we test the parallel DP algorithm on the classic, benchmark four-reservoir problem on a high-performance computing (HPC) system with up to 350 cores. Results indicate that the parallel DP algorithm exhibits good performance in parallel efficiency; the parallel DP algorithm is scalable and will not be restricted by the number of cores. Finally, the parallel DP algorithm is applied to a real-world, five-reservoir system in China. The results demonstrate the parallel efficiency and practical utility of the proposed methodology.
This study presents an "Earth observation-based" method for estimating root zone storage capacity – a critical, yet uncertain parameter in hydrological and land surface modelling. By assuming that ...vegetation optimises its root zone storage capacity to bridge critical dry periods, we were able to use state-of-the-art satellite-based evaporation data computed with independent energy balance equations to derive gridded root zone storage capacity at global scale. This approach does not require soil or vegetation information, is model independent, and is in principle scale independent. In contrast to a traditional look-up table approach, our method captures the variability in root zone storage capacity within land cover types, including in rainforests where direct measurements of root depths otherwise are scarce. Implementing the estimated root zone storage capacity in the global hydrological model STEAM (Simple Terrestrial Evaporation to Atmosphere Model) improved evaporation simulation overall, and in particular during the least evaporating months in sub-humid to humid regions with moderate to high seasonality. Our results suggest that several forest types are able to create a large storage to buffer for severe droughts (with a very long return period), in contrast to, for example, savannahs and woody savannahs (medium length return period), as well as grasslands, shrublands, and croplands (very short return period). The presented method to estimate root zone storage capacity eliminates the need for poor resolution soil and rooting depth data that form a limitation for achieving progress in the global land surface modelling community.
In this work, the conductivity of and oxygen ion diffusion in Na
0.5
Bi
0.5−x
K
x
TiO
3−x
(x = 0.02, 0.04 and 0.06) were studied. Results demonstrated that as K content is increased, the bulk ...conductivity of Na
0.5
Bi
0.5−x
K
x
TiO
3−x
compounds increased gradually until reach maximum of 1.18 × 10
−3
S/cm for Na
0.50
Bi
0.46
K
0.04
TiO
2.96
at 673 K and then decreased whereas the activation energy decreased monotonically, owing to the fact that the higher the K content, the lower the lower mobile oxygen vacancy content in Na
0.5
Bi
0.5−x
K
x
TiO
3−x
as deduced from the height of the relaxation peak. Moreover, the crystal structure has vital influence on the oxygen ion relaxation activation energy of Na
0.5
Bi
0.5−x
K
x
TiO
3−x
compounds, with 0.87–0.90 eV in the rhombohedra and 0.62–0.71 eV in the tetrahedral. The results are meaningful to understand the relationship between the electrical properties and structure and helpful to enhance the oxide ion conductivity of the Na
0.5
Bi
0.5
TiO
3
-based oxygen ion conductors.
The long-sought yet elusive Majorana fermion is predicted to arise from a combination of a superconductor and a topological insulator. An essential step in the hunt for this emergent particle is the ...unequivocal observation of supercurrent in a topological phase. Here, direct evidence for Josephson supercurrents in superconductor (Nb)-topological insulator (Bi(2)Te(3))-superconductor electron-beam fabricated junctions is provided by the observation of clear Shapiro steps under microwave irradiation, and a Fraunhofer-type dependence of the critical current on magnetic field. Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in magnetic fields up to 30 T reveal a topologically non-trivial two-dimensional surface state. This surface state is attributed to mediate the ballistic Josephson current despite the fact that the normal state transport is dominated by diffusive bulk conductivity. The lateral Nb-Bi(2)Te(3)-Nb junctions hence provide prospects for the realization of devices supporting Majorana fermions.
Abstract Background and aims NAFLD is an independent risk factor for increased cardiovascular disease. Arterial stiffness is an index of subclinical atherosclerosis. The aims of this study were to ...examine prospectively the relationship between Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the progression of arterial stiffness. Methods and results A prospective study of 728 men and 497 women free of hypertension, and diabetes at the baseline were conducted. The subjects were followed for 5 years. The progression rate of arterial stiffness was measured by calculating the increase in brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) the changes of the baPWV (adjusted for age) during the study period was significantly greater in the patients with NAFLD (172.4 ± 42.1 cm/s for men, 95.8 ± 36.7 cm/s for women) than in the subjects without NAFLD (70.3 ± 56.5 cm/s for men, 55.4 ± 42.2 cm/s for women). For the subjects with metabolic syndrome, after adjusting for multiple risk factors, NAFLD was a significant predictor of baPWV progression (for male, β = 0.843; P < 0.001; for female, β = 0.575; P < 0.001, respectively). In addition, results were unmodified in subjects without metabolic syndrome. Conclusions NAFLD was found to be an independent predictor of faster progression of baPWV even after adjusting other cardiovascular risk factors. These prospective data support a pathogenic role for NAFLD in the development of arterial stiffness.
The leaves of plants are colonized by various microorganisms. In comparison to the rhizosphere, less is known about the characteristics and ecological functions of phyllosphere microorganisms. ...Phyllosphere microorganisms mainly originate from soil, air, and seeds. The composition of phyllosphere microorganisms is mainly affected by ecological and abiotic factors. Phyllosphere microorganisms execute multiple ecological functions by influencing leaf functions and longevity, seed mass, fruit development, and homeostasis of host growth. A plant can respond to phyllosphere microorganisms by secondary metabolite secretion and its immune system. Meanwhile, phyllosphere microorganisms play an important role in ecological stability and environmental safety assessment. However, as a result of the instability of the phyllosphere environment and the poor cultivability of phyllosphere microorganisms in the current research, there are still many limitations, such as the lack of insight into the mechanisms of plant–microorganism interactions, the roles of phyllosphere microorganisms in plant growth processes, the responses of phyllosphere microorganisms to plant metabolites, etc. This review summarizes the latest progress made in the research of the phyllosphere in recent years. This is beneficial for deepening our understanding of phyllosphere microorganisms and promoting the research of plant–atmosphere interactions, plant pathogens, and plant biological control.
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